The Basil Seed Diet…and How it Can Help You to Lose Weight Fast!

When it comes to shedding the excess pounds, it’s tricky to know where to start. Sabja seeds or Thai holy basil seeds offer a natural alternative as there are a bewildering array of weight loss products, diets and gadgets on the market, all making wild promises to burn fat and slim the figure, and it can be tough determining which ones work and which ones don’t.

Losing Fat Naturally… is it Possible?

Of course, it goes without saying that the best way to lose weight is to use only natural products, rather than chemical substances that may harm your health. However, most people, when they hear the word ‘natural’, presume that we’re talking about living off lettuce leaves and cabbage soup…yuck! Fortunately, that’s not the case. Allow us to introduce nature’s natural way of losing weight…Thai Basil Seeds!

Introducing Thai Holy Basil Seeds

Firstly, just to emphasise, Thai Holy Basil Seeds are different to Thai Holy Basil. Thai Holy Basil, although delicious and extremely nutritious, won’t offer you any slimming benefits.

Thai Basil Seeds or Sabja seeds, on the other hand, most certainly will. These vegan-friendly seeds have a remarkable ability to take on water, which makes them incredibly filling…not to mention extremely low in fat. They’ve been used as a thickening agent in Thai cooking for years, but it’s only recently that savvy dieters have realised the weight loss benefits that these humble seeds offer.

How Do Basil Seeds Help You to Lose Weight?

A major problem when dieting is feeling hungry. When we feel hungry, it’s inevitable that our hands start creeping towards the biscuit jar, or sneaking a route into the fridge for some late night snacking.

The Basil Seed diet is becoming increasingly popular on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks to its remarkable satiety benefits. In more simple terms, these tiny seeds seriously fill you up! Although they’re not particularly nutritionally beneficial (and thus should be eaten as part of a healthy diet) they provide a fantastic, natural way to make you feel fuller for longer. Believe it or not, these tiny seeds can absorb thirty times their weight in water. They swell in the stomach, causing you to feel pleasantly full, rather than ravenously hungry.

They’re also high in fibre, which is great for your digestion.

How do You Eat Thai Holy Basil Seeds?

They’re a very flexible seed, and can be added to plenty of different foods. In South East Asia, they are often used in a pudding mixed with tapioca; though we wouldn’t recommend eating desserts if you’re trying to lose weight fast!

They’re easy to incorporate into a delicious fruit smoothie, or you can add them to soup or a casserole.

Aren’t They the Same as Chia Seeds?

Sabja Seeds are often confused with Chia Seeds, as they are both able to absorb a lot of water. Both are excellent for helping dieters to lose weight. However, Chia Seeds pack far more of a nutritional punch (they are filled with Omega 3 and six oils, as well as other essential fatty acids and antioxidants).

Where Basil Seeds come into their own is their fibre content. Fibre is vital for a healthy digestive system, and basil seeds can help to keep you ‘regular’ not to mention give your body the ability to absorb nutrients fully.

Many dieters often choose to incorporate both Chia and Basil Seeds into their daily diets, to provide nutrition and to keep them feeling full, without consuming any unnecessary calories.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Thai Holy Basil Seeds have been used in South East Asia for centuries to help obese people shed the pounds. It’s only in the last decade or so that Europeans and Americans have started incorporating them into their diets.

As a result, not much is yet known about their side effects. However, studies have been carried out to assess the safety of basil seeds when added to food, and they have been deemed safe.

There have been no side effects reports from using Basil Seeds. However, Basil Seeds do contain an estragole; a natural organic compound that is suspected to be carcinogenic and genotoxic. Before you start panicking, studies have shown that providing the seeds are consumed sensibly, the levels of estragole consumed are minimal, and thus will not cause any adverse effect on the body.

Regardless of this, we would always recommend that you speak to a doctor if you have any concerns about eating them. They are not recommended for under 18s, or pregnant/nursing women; and we would suggest that they are used in moderation, as part of a healthy diet.

The official line seems to be: When eaten sensibly alongside nutritious food, Basil Seeds can help control hunger pangs, enabling dieters to resist the temptation of snacking. They are nature’s way of filling you up and helping you to get rid of those stubborn love handles fast!